Description
A pale man is here, looking like a scarecrow. He is tall, and only a
little menacing. In his skinny limbs you can see the strength of years,
and yet also the bigor of youth. His hair is straight, coal black, and
cropped short. His eyes are animate and intelligent, a pale blue the
color of the sky through a wisp of cloud, strangely contrasting his
dark appearance. Long fingers and strong hands bear slightly faded black
tattoos. On his left hand is the most elaborate design, with swirls
like burnt vines arcing from between his fingers and up his arm. Within
the whorls of the vine are carefully crafted leters, spelling the
words that have conveniently been broken by scars.
You also notice that:
Role
Matthen and the "Super-Herald"
Added Sun Jul 4 19:40:14 2004 at level 33:
Matthen had ambitions for the position of High Herald. He was unsure of
how qualified he was for this, but Esfergref's appointment while
Matthen was still overly young squelched Matthen's ambitions in that
arena. He still searches for more, however, some way to expand his
abilities and usefulness as a Herald. Because of this, something
Thigodus hinted at has sparked his curiosity.
One evening, Matthen tromped into the Lyceum to read a bedtime story
when Thigodus hurried him out. Matthen demanded, half-jokingly, to know
why he was being chucked from the Lyceum. Later, Thigodus told Matthen
very little of his suspicious stay in the Lyceum, about "the fate of
the world" resting in ol' Thiggo's hands and being a "super-hero" who
helped keep people from becoming "zombies". Matthen interpreted this as
Thigodus being a sort of Super-Herald, and perhaps he was speaking with
something in the Lyceum. Thigodus's casually cryptic avoidance of the
topic has peaked Matthen's curiosity. Matthen is unsure of the truth
behind Thigodus's words, as Thigodus has always been an oddball, and a
master bluff. Matthen doesn't believe Thigodus would lie to his friend
outright, however, and is taking what little clues Thigodus gave him
to heart. Matthen is burning to know what Thigodus has found, perhaps a
new level of philosophy or Heraldry, and is starving to find out what
it is.
Matthen as a Herald
Added Sun Jul 4 19:21:32 2004 at level 33:
Matthen has settled well into the philosophy and lifestyle of a Herald,
perhaps spending a little too much time in the bar at times. He has
gained renown as a bard for his dutiful missive scribing. In fact,
there are times where all he does in the Inn is scribe missives and
pretend he's listening to the patrons. He is infinitely frustrated and
bored by constantly writing missives, but is pleased to see the end
product and know that it was he who wrote them. He never imagined he'd
be such a public figure.
In any case, he feels Herald is growing a little stagnant, and is
desperately searching for ways to spice it up. Whether this is in the
form of new members, events, or both.
Matthen and the Empire
Added Sun Jul 4 19:18:15 2004 at level 33:
Matthen has spent the latest portion of his life dealing with the
Imperials as best he possibly can. He views them as annoyances,
inconveniences on the road. The only time they are anything more
that is when they threaten the Inn and her patrons. He will
occasionally go with a party to slay a pair of Centurions, especially
when they are parked outside of the Inn, but he does not go out of his
way to.
After writing a missive for Odrirg, Matthen found himself marked for
death. In a missive to the Empire, he stated this:
I wrote that missive because it is my responsibility as a bard and a
Herald. As such, it is my responsibility to Thera to deliver knowledge
and ideas, regardless of the message, its source, or how I feel about
it.
Matthen was initially outraged that he was being condemned for words
hat weren't his, but soon decided just to ignore it. He has yet to see
the effects of Lord Khasotholas's death mark.
An artist
Added Wed Jun 9 17:29:20 2004 at level 22:
Beauty was the most profund thing that ever happened to Matthen, a d
he wanted more. He wanted to create Beauty and to give it to others and
to do everything in his power to embrace it. HAnd he learned the beauty
is in symbols, and that art is symbols.... and the manipulation of symbols
is art.. so maniupulating symbolism you manipulate and create Beauty. And
so he sought to become an Artist as a Herald. To create, to learn, and
to share this profound love of his, Beauty.
Matthen and Beauty
Added Wed Jun 9 17:27:40 2004 at level 22:
Matthen Mark-Hazid collapsed in the sand, watching flies eat at the
uinidentifiable corpse next to him. A symbol of the cycle of life, out
here, wandering amongst the blowing sands of the desert. Beautiful
Beauty can e found everywhere. Everything is symbolic for everyone in
their own minds, it's a metter of what it symbolzies. Some things
symbolize different things for different people. Regardless of the
symbol, art is the manipulation of these symbols to produce a larger
vision. Art is the manipulation of beauty, to produce a larger symbol.
Beauty is everywhere. Even the absence of beauty is beautiful in its
symbolism.
Matthen, in the past, was not avidly religions. He sought to learn
different philosophies, different religions to gain perspective on his
own personal thoughts. He never had his own personal religion. However,
in the last few years he has not only seen Beauty, but hje has
evolved from a simple carpenter of dark origins to what he sought to become
when he discovered Beauty: An artist.
Discovering Beauty
Added Wed Jun 9 17:22:32 2004 at level 22:
After Matthen left Hamsah Mu'Tazz and began exploring, he knew one
thing: The Etyernal Night was coming. Everything in life only served as
a reminder or a distraction of that fact. He trundld through
life a long time like that, directionless and powerless against the
ominous approach of the Night. Then he discovered a young woman, about
his age. They drank together in Darsylon. It was then that his eyes were
oopened ever so slightly to what he later knew to be Beauty.
Over the next few years, he would spend time in the Inn, learning
philosophies and religions, devouring this knowledge like a starving
lion. He learned of Art, and of Knowledge, and suddenly.... he knew
Beauty . Before the Night was everything. When Matthen discovered
Beauty, it was a jolt. It was the single most profound moment of his
life. The darkness was lifted and he saw something beyond it, something
beyond the Night. Something that pierced through the only thing he
knew. And he wanted more.
He knew what he had seen in the wood in Hamsah, he knew what he saw in
the woman of Darsylon. The moreBeauty he saw, the less the approach
of the Night bothered him, the less it mattered. Until eventually, hortly
after his induction into the Heralds of the Eternal Star as a
decorateor, it disappeared. So Matthen erased from his body all
reminders of Khark Hazyn. Taking a knife, he stripped his tattoo.
Origins, part 2: Khark Hazyn
Added Wed Jun 9 17:13:13 2004 at level 22:
Origins, part 2: Khark Hazyn
Matthen's fellow gang members were shrewd businessmen, despite their
youth. They were always dealing in everything from the mundane to the
arcane. So naturally, they crossed path with many interesting people.
There are a few who they wish they hadn't met. Khark Hazyn they wished
never existed.
Khark Hazyn was the name the mage gave them He was cloaked entirely in
black, but they could hear his armor clink beneath it. He bought from
them several ptions. When they named a priec he didn't like, he beat
them until they named a more suitable price. Despite this abuse, Khark
Hazyn was very profitable for the gang. But he sought for himself
a different kind of profit.
After several dealings with the gang, Khark Hazyn offered them one
final deal. They would become his eyes, ears, knives, and toys in
Hamsah Mu'Tazz. In exchange, he would pay them, all of them, in food
and monies. They accepted, and Matthen's first Hell began.
The first thing they knew as pain. The second was the tattoos on their a
arms. The third was the Night, in all its overwhelming power, all its
ominous precepts. Theyt knew exactly what would happen when the Eternal
Night came. They served the Night, they served Khark Hazyn. If they
strayed from this, they were rewarded with pain. Tey did what Khark
Hazyn told them to. Any other time they were free to do as they wished.
But pain was their teacher if they did otherwise.
Eventaully Khark Hazyn faded away. Perhaps he forgot about his toys, or
tossed them iaside in favor of a new project, or a bettertoy. But the
gang never forgot him. They never forgot the horrors Khark Hazyn had
brought with him.
Matthen's Origins part 1: Carpentry
Added Wed Jun 9 17:02:28 2004 at level 22:
Matthen began life in Hamsah Mu'Tazz, or so he assumes. He only ever
remembers the streets, the gang, and Khark Hazyn. He was a fledgling
member of a street gang, a group of young boys and a few girls of
various races struggling for survival on the streets, in the sewers,
and the grossly mutated miniature world that was The Streets. Survival
was their reality.
But Matthen maaged to find something else. He found a knife, and he
found wood. And for the first time he found something beyond simply
scraping for food or for a weapon. He found a whole other world
in that little bit of wood. And it was up to him to decide what it was.